Tesco is trialling a quiet hour at its Extra store in Crawley to accommodate the shopping needs of people with autism.

The quiet hour takes place on Saturday mornings at 9am over a six-week trial period. During the hour in-store music and escalators are turned off, lights are dimmed, and tannoy use is kept to a minimum.

A Tesco spokesman said: “We will monitor feedback of the trial but at this stage, there are no plans to roll out Autism quiet hours in all Tesco stores.”  

A recent survey by the National Autistic Society found that 75% of parents of children with autism feel most isolated in supermarkets due to lack of understanding and sensor discomforts.

Jo-Ann D’Costa Manuel, director of Autism Parent Empower which is behind the scheme, said all allocated tills were “being run by Tesco staff members whose lives are touched by autism”.